[b]Task #1 - Top 5 Playoff Snacks[b]

#5 - The Roundtable Burger (Kelowna)

By all measures, the Roundtable is a solid burger. Its massive, fresh-beef patty, mountains of saucy mushrooms and onions, and blend of mozarella and blue cheese qualify it for a high place on any arena list. But its just a supersized version of a burger on the regular-season menu. So it comes in at 5th, not because it was bad, but because there was nothing really new about it.

#4 - Green Chili Nachos (Colorado)

It's a simple snack, but its a great one. The Mammoths put a new twist on their arena nachos for the playoffs, loading them down with locally-made green pork chilli, roasted chili peppers, and optional cheesy queso. We're hopeful it will come back for the regular season, but we recommend trying it now just in case.

#3 - Bulgogi Burritos (Vancouver)

A local favorite, these spicy burritos are made with strips of thin, seasoned, stir-fried beef. Add spicy peppers, black beans, and garlic aioli and you've got yourself a winning snack.

#2 - The Arch (St. Louis)

The Scarecrows definitely rake in the creativity with this sweet snack. The Arch is a deep-fried pretzel, molded into the shape of the city's famous arch, dusted with icing sugar, and generously drizzled with hot caramel or fudge.

#1 - Chicken Schwarma Poutine (Montreal)

Hands down the best offering of the playoff season, the Montreal Milita's chicken schwarma poutine would be a must-eat regardless of where it was beig served. Fresh cheese curds, spicy chicken gravy, and dleicious schwarma top some of the best arena fries we've ever eaten. Eat it. Don't think about it, just book a flight to Montreal and get some.


[b]Task #2 - Season in Review with Seth Paige[b]

Hi Seth, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. To get started, would you care to give us some thoughts on how your team's season went?

Yeah, sure. I think we played well all year, got some great contributions from our vets, and the rookie's stepped up too. Landing Langabeer at the deadline definitely gave us a big boost too, he was easily one of the best in the league, and he made his presence known as soon as he stepped out on the ice. In the end I think we probably leaned a little too hard on our stars. The first line carried a lot of our offense, top pairing took most of the key minutes, and we had to rely on Wagner a little more than we would have liked. Obviously those things didn't catch up to us during the regular season, but in the playoffs things are so much closer, and we finally ran out of magic.

I know the wounds are still fresh, but do you have anything to say about the Colorado series?

It was a tough one. In the playoffs, the margin for error is so much lower, one little thing can change the outcome of a game or an entire series. We were in it until the end, but their goalie killed us in the last game. When someone steps up and puts in a performance like that, it's hard to say they didn't deserve the win. There's always next year, I guess.

One last question Seth, how do you feel about your season personally?

I think it went well. Definitely met a few of my big goals. I was solid in my own end, put up a good +/-, played some important minutes. I think the big thing was establishing myself physically without depending on my size to succeed. I think I made some good progress there, really made some guys hurt last season. Hoping to work on my gap control and transition game for next season, when I'll hopefully be playing bigger minutes.




[b]Task #3 - 4-Star Cup Final PbP[b]

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to TSN. I'm Mike Hawk and this is 'In Case You Missed It'. Tonight your game in five minutes is Game 4 of the 4-Star Cup Final between the Vancouver Whalers and Colorado mammoths.

This one got off to quick start seven minutes in, when the Whalers won a faceoff in their own zone. Inari Twain grabs the puck and skates it in along the boards. Tries a toe drag to get around the defender, but he rifles the puck just wide. Hoid wit picks it up along the boards with some speed, wheels around the back of the net, goes for the wrap around, and it's under Aleksandrov's pad. 1-0 Vancouver! The rest of the period was all Vancouver, as they kept Colorado hemmed in their own zone and really tested Aleksandrov with a barrage of shots.

Seven minutes into the second and Colorado's trying to even it up. Vancouver can't seem to come away with the puck as it cycles back to the blue line. Vratislav Zbynek takes a shot, but Carrick Murray's there for the save. Rebound goes right to Chase Byron, but his shot is blocked. Byron picks it up again and pulls it around the boards, comes back to the point. Finn Kruger comes up the boards with it, sees some open ice for the dish to Daedric Heikennin, who buries the rebound. And we're tied at one. Colorado really showed why they made it this far in the second, tying the game and doubling Vancouver's shot output.

Things really got going in the third. With the Mammoths still running the show, Carrick Murray makes a great save off a slapshot from Zbynek and we go to the faceoff dot. Larrson wins it, back to Uedo. Uedo over to Byron. He fakes a shot and sends it to Larrson, who buries the top-shelf wrister. Textbook goal off the faceoff, and it's 2-1.

With under two minutes to go, the Whalers are pushing desperately for another goal. Bringing it up the ice is Shoyu Kikkoman. He makes it past the blue line, but the defense swarms him and he has no shot. Drops it back for Magar, who threads the blueline, waiting for a passing line. Emiya Shirou rockets up the boards and cuts into the slot, Magar makes the pass, and Shirou ties it up with the half-slapper. Beautiful. And we're going to OT.

Three minutes into the overtime, and Vancouver has another great chance. Phelps wins the faceoff in Colorado's zone and sends it back to Bennett. She waits and rips a slapper at Aleksandrov, it's tipped by Odjick, but it's just wide. But Hoid Wit picks it up in the slot, goes to his backhand, and just slips it past a sprawling Aleksandrov. Vancouver wins it, 3-2 in overtime.

I'm Mike Hawk, and that was your Game in Five.





[b]Task #4-Playoff MVP[b]

There's an easy choice for this year's playoff MVP, and that's Shoyu Kikkoman of the Vancouver Whalers. Anchoring Vancouver's excellent blueline, Kikkoman led all defenders in playoff scoring, with 5 goals and 15 points in only nine playoff games. He ranked second in playoff scoring for all positions, despite playing only 9 games, where every other player in the top 5 played 17. He played a hefty 21 minutes per game, and posted a bananas 35.71% shooting percentage over the course of the playoffs. Kikkoman may not have unleashed his deadly slapshot often, but when he did it found the twine. Kikkoman was no slouch in his own end either, contributing 16 hits despite a playstyle normally lacking in physicality. Kikkoman seemed to find a new level during the playoffs, becoming not only the best defenceman in the 4-Star Cup Playoffs, but also one of the top point producers despite playing relatively few games on the path to the Cup. For these reasons, he should be the undisputed playoff MVP.